Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-08-19
THE GREAT BANK ROBBERY.
A Romance Of the Met
ropolis.
Founded upon Notes from the
Diary of Inspector Byrnes.
by Julian Hawthorne, Author of "Gath, u
etc, etc,
copyrighted 1887 by o. NJ. DunhamJ

have amounted to less than several hun
bred dollars come FROM and how did
Shevelin, with his few dollars a week
salary come into possession of it There
seemed to be no answer to these questions
consistent with the fellows honesty. The
inspector decided upon taking new step.
The bank officials had been some time
before appraised of the true character of
their Sunday Waterman and of the rea-
sons for regarding him with dstrust and
they had naturally been anxious to get
rid of him forthwith. But they were re-
Quested, in order not to awaken his sus
pcion, to defer Diminishing him until some
time had passed, when they might do so on
some preteXt not connected with the rob
berry. He was therefore permitted to con-
tinue his duties, though his movements
were always under supervision but the
period had now arrived when he might
be turned away without prejudice to the
aims of the police. He was called up ac
cordngly, his wages were paid, and he
was informed that the bank had made ar
rangements which would compel them to
dispense with his services.
This proceeding had the effect which the
inspector had looked for. Without put
ting Shevelin on his guard for he had by
this time become persuaded that he was
safe from pursuit) it disturbed and anger
ed him, ana by way of easing his mind he
began drinking to excess.
Every other device of Swallowing" hav-
ing been.employed with Indifferent results,
new experiment was now tried with sue
cessful results. The law followed Sheve.
Inns footsteps in the shape of the ubqu-
tous urchin of the streets-the small boy
with his careless whistle, his omnivorous
curiosity, his rowing disposition, his whip
tops, his marbles and his untrammeled
habits. This scrap of humanity was in
structed never to lose sight of the ex-
Waterman and to report where he went,
whom he met and what he said The
commission was accepted with alacrity
and discharged with good results.
Even the most depraved persons retain
some instructive confidence in the guile
lessness of childhood and disarm them
selves in its presence, and it might seem
pity to employ one of the best impulses
remaining in criminal to convict him of
his worser ones. But the operations of the
detective police do not give much rein to
sentiment The boy brought in daily re-
ports, and every day the net of evidence
around the unconscious man was drawn
little closer. In his drunken seasons he
had perilous habit of muttering and
talking to himself. From these mutter-
lURS IL dpptdIeu lHdJ lie COUSluereQ NM
self wronged by some person or persons in
a pecuniary matter. He had not been
treated right he had done much and they
had treated him stability, they We're
playing him for sucker" but he would
have his rights. Evidently the time was
ripe for his arrest
But the arrest was TO be made less on
Shevelin's personal account than as a
means of getting at his accomplces, for it
was the inspectors belief that he neither
committed the burglary himself nor held
in his possession any considerable portion
of the funds; the main object in securing
him was to induce him to give up the
names of the active perpetrators. The
possibility of bringing them to justice
rested principally upon the contingency
of Sheyelin's turning States evidence.
Should the refuse to do this very little
practical good would result from his cap
ture. But Inspector Byrnes had taken the
measure of the mans character and he be-
lieved he could influence him to make the
desired revelation.
The arrest was effected on an evening
in the latter part of February Shevelin
had by this time grow So confident of his
safety that the rattle of the handouts on
his wrists startled him almost as much as
If he had indeed been as innocent as he
protested he was. No noise or disturbance
attended the capture, which was made
without the knowledge of any one eX-
Il.
The necessity for this secrecy was obvious.
Were the fact that he had been taken into
custody to leak out either through the
newspapers or otherwise, it would serious
ly interfere with the results which were
hoped for from it. The thieves would
take the alarm and decamp, and the police
would be even worse off than before. 1t
was indispensable, therefore, not only to
arrest him quietly, but to keep the event
secret from every one until the expected
confession was obtained.
But at TINS point new difficulty was
encountered. The law in relation to ar
rested persons is that no prisoner can be
kept more than "A hours without hear
ing. How, then, was Shevelin to be taken
into court without the reporters getting
wind OF the TACT After some considera-
ton, Inspector Byrnes went to Jefferson
Market Police Court and had private in
terview with Justice Morgan. To him he
cOnfided the news of Shevelin's capture
and it was arranged between them that
the prisoner was to be brought unostenta-
tiously before the justice the next after
noon, apparently as "simple drunk"
The justice was to discharge with a repri-
mand but, once outside the door, he was
to be rearrested and carried back to the
Central office. This process could be re-
peated day after day as long as might be
necessary and no one would suspect that
culprit introduced in so informal man.
ner was the man who held in his hand the
key to the most important mystery of the
day
This plan was punctually carried out
Every day Shevelln was taken before
the magistrate, some unintelligibe for
mula was gone through with, and reach
ing the street he was Immediately joineC
by an officer, who escorted him to head
quarters. Meanwhile the inspector held
constant interviews with him in the pri
vacy of his office, bringing to bear upor
the -watchman's obstinate silence the
strength of his trained mind and intelh
gence and keen insight into human ma
ture.. Had Shevelin been man eff more
developed intellect he would more speedily
have recognized the futility on his par
of such contest but there is no logged
ness so immovable as that of a person de
ficient in the rational faculty But JUS
when any other man than the inspector
would have. given up the attempt in de
spair the chief of the detectives attacked
him on the side of his envy and jealousy
and won the victory
He had devined that Shevelin felt sor,
on the subject of the division of the pro
ceeds of the robbery; and one day h,